Selectric Typewriter conversions

From: Peter C. Wallace <pcw_at_mesanet.com>
Date: Tue Feb 4 09:42:00 2003

On Tue, 4 Feb 2003, Joe wrote:

> At 12:36 AM 2/4/03 -0800, you wrote:
> >> Does anyone remember what was required to convert an IBM Selectric
> >> Typewriter to a computer printer? I seem to recall a kit of some sort
> >> was available, but my memory is
> >> *really* hazy about that.
> >
>
> Speaking of interfacing Selectrics. I was talking to my father about
> Teletypes the other day and he told me that he had thrown out an old "word
> processor" (my term not his). He said that it was a desk sized mechanical
> unit that had a keyboard and mechanical printer along with a paper tape
> punch/reader. He said that you could type in a letter and insert a pause any
> place where you wanted to insert unique data such as a name. The unit would
> save everything on punched paper tape. You could then feed the PT back into
> and it would type the letter. When it got to the pause it would stop and let
> you manually type in the name or other data and then it would continue and
> finish the letter. Does anyone know what these thing was? I think he must
> have gotten this after I left home because I don't remember ever seeing it.
> Unfortunately he threw it away several years ago.
>
> Joe
>

        Sounds like a Friden Flexowriter, You could punch codes to pause for
user input, or read names etc from an auxilliary paper taper reader allowing
automatic form letter generation. The Flexowriter uses a typebar mechanism
like a normal mechanical typewriter. I used to have the ASCII terminal version
of the Flexowriter (model 7102 - one of the few Flexowriters with built in
electronics)
        There is also a Selectric based paper tape word processor called
Mach-10 (AFAICR)


Peter Wallace
Received on Tue Feb 04 2003 - 09:42:00 GMT